Leeds United: Player visited Elland Road after ‘brutal’ offer before transfer fell through
Nadiem Amiri visited Elland Road and Thorp Arch before deciding he could not imagine making the move to Leeds United for family reasons, he admitted in an interview with Watson.
The German outlet published the interview in which the midfielder explained he was made a “brutal” offer and was expected to sign on the same day despite no deal having been agreed.
Reports at the time suggested there had been a back-and-forth with deals accepted and multiple u-turns, but he insisted his stance was made clear from the start.
Speaking to Watson [11 April], Amiri explained: “Leeds really wanted me. They made me a brutal offer and asked me to just take a look at everything on site. But I couldn’t really imagine it, especially for family reasons.
“When I was there, I was supposed to sign straight away that day, even though it wasn’t agreed upon. Not only do the two clubs have to agree, the player also has to want a transfer.
“A lot of what you read in the media afterwards wasn’t true. There was no back and forth with the acceptances and rejections, I was clear about that from the start.”
Leeds United transfer move falls through after site visit
Amiri’s transfer falling through last summer would have come as a great disappointment to Leeds and to Daniel Farke who had looked to bring him in to bolster the midfield options at Elland Road before the season began.
However, looking at the team Farke has at his disposal now, it is difficult to see where Amiri would have fitted. The deeper midfield duo of Glen Kamara and Ilia Gruev has been almost unbreakable while Ethan Ampadu started the season in that role.
Further forward, Georginio Rutter has arguably been Leeds’ player of the season in the number ten role, with Joel Piroe, Matteo Joseph and Patrick Bamford also rotated through the position with their more attacking qualities.
Missing out on any player is always frustrating, but given the way Leeds’ season has gone so far, they won’t be losing any sleep over this one – especially if they can secure promotion back up to the Premier League.
In other Leeds United news, Kieran Maguire has shared new challenges for 49ers Enterprises.
For more Leeds news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.